Vatican announces Pope Leo diagnosed with cancer... part of his lung removed

The Vatican announced in a medical bulletin that Pope Leo was diagnosed with lung cancer after surgeons removed part of his right lung on Tuesday, dealing a significant blow to the health of the 71-year-old pontiff.

The bulletin added that the Pope has been diagnosed with pulmonary adenocarcinoma, a common type of lung cancer, and that tissue samples taken during the surgery confirmed what doctors had suspected based on initial tests.

Leo was admitted to Gemelli Hospital in Rome on Tuesday to undergo surgery to remove a mass discovered by doctors during a recent routine health checkup.

In a statement, Dr. Stefano Margheritura, the Pope’s chief surgeon, and Dr. Luigi Carboni, his personal physician, said the procedure lasted about 90 minutes and was successful without complications.

They added, “To make the procedure therapeutic, the lower lobe of the right lung was removed using a video-assisted technique,” indicating that the goal was to remove all cancerous tissue.

The human lungs consist of five lobes: three in the right lung and two in the left.

The medical bulletin stated that the Pope regained consciousness normally after the surgery and later returned to his hospital room to rest.

The Vatican said Leo is expected to remain in the hospital for about two weeks, and all his public engagements have been canceled until October 20.